Home

Lyme disease is a rising epidemic in every state in the
nation. The Lyme Disease United
Coalition was formed to educate the public about tick safety. Enjoy nature, but take precautions. And, it is not just the pesky tick transmitting
Lyme disease (Ld). It can be passed by
ticks, fleas, biting flies, Keds, Lice, and mosquitoes.

The bacterial spirochete can invade and infect any organ
in humans and animals. If not diagnosed
early, if left untreated or not treated adequately, it may develop into
debilitating arthritic, cardiac, neurological, digestive, or psychiatric
conditions. It can cause long-term
disability or can even be fatal. It can
cross the placenta into the fetus, and its DNA can be found in breast
milk. It is called the “Great Imitator”
for it mimics other diseases such as:
Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid
Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or an array of mental disorders.

Recognize the
Ticks!

Some ticks can transmit more than one pathogen. The
pictures show three of the common adult ticks found in the United States.
Younger ticks that are smaller and less distinctive may also transmit disease.

Black-legged ticks(Ixodes scapularis) can transmit several
tick-borne diseases, such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Lyme disease.

American dog tick(Dermacentor variabilis) can carry diseases
such as Rocky Mountain spotted

fever and tularemia.

So what are you supposed to do to avoid contracting Ld –
stay inside with the shades shut?No!

Mow your lawn, play at the
beach, go fishing, hike in the woods, but take precautions:

Protection:

·Perform
frequent, thorough tick checks – especially the scalp area

· Wear light
colored clothes

· Tuck pants
into socks or put duct tape around the cuffs.If going into deep woods, wear layer of duct tape on lower pants, sticky
side-out, to attract the tick to attach to the tape and not attach to your
body.

Create Tick-Safe Zones. Many infections happen in your
own yard!Remove Leaf Litter and brush
around your home and at the edges of lawns.Place wood chips or gravel between Lawns and wooded areas.Mow the lawn and clear brush regularly.Keep playground equipment, decks and patios
away from yard edges and trees.

Apply pesticide to control ticks.

Signs that you may need to see a doctor immediately, if
you think

you have contracted Ld – remember

most do not have the telltale bullseye rash, and there are two
stages of Lyme disease.

Tick
Removal

*Do not burn or
use any substance on tick

*Do not grasp,
squeeze, or twist the body of tick

*Pull tick
straight out

*Grasp tick’s head
close to skin with tweezers

* See a physician
if unable to remove the whole tick

*Use antiseptic
on skin

*Disinfect
tweezers

*Wash hands
thoroughly

*Always see a
physician for possible diagnosis, testing and treatment—watch for flu-like symptoms or rash

Hunters: Beware of
additional precautions needed to avoid contact from ticks on game. Remove
game from field with a tarp. Hang game over bleach solution for
ticks to fall into. Wear plastic apron and gloves when cleaning
game.

There are 300 strains of the Lyme bacteria in the United
States and Canada. All tick species,
even the good old Dog tick can pass Lyme disease onto the human host. What’s
more, ticks are capable of transmitting the infection 12 months a year, says
Iowa State University entomologist Ken Holscher, “They do not reach the same
level of development at the same time each year,” he explains, and thus the
ticks that reach adult stages by the end of the summer can remain active as
temperatures drop. “It takes two things
for a tick to survive in fall and winter,” Holscher says, “An available host –
ticks aren’t picky – and relative humidity.”
During hunting seasons, ticks can be found in thick brush or on tall
grasses.

Signs and
Symptoms

Early Stage:
Symptoms may appear from 48 hours to several weeks after an infected tick bite:

Late Stage:
(Chronic Lyme) These may occur weeks, months, and even years after the bite and
the symptoms may come and go. Peak disease is associated with increasing
numbers of spirochetes in the tissues while regression follows the antibody
response. It is very cyclic and fluctuates in intensity so that symptoms are
present on some days and not on others.

Most physicians are not educated in medical school about
Lyme disease.Call our offices to find a
Lyme educated doctor in your region – (800) 311-7518 or email us at:LymeInfo@lduc.org

Lyme disease is a very serious illness.It can cripple you, cause brain damage,
blindness, and arthritic pain on an ongoing basis.Early detection is very important.With early detection there is a cure with
antibiotic treatment.Late-stage Lyme
disease is incurable, and has lead to several deaths.Long-term antibiotic treatment is necessary
for late-stage.